Emblemed Promises
by titansfan1211
Summary: Robin and Terra have a conversation about their uniforms. They make a promise, but will Terra betray it? Rob/Ter friend fic. oneshot, but might be extended.


Robin and Terra sat on the roof, talking. They were the only ones up, considering it was five in the morning. It was a normal time for Robin to wake up, but Terra usually slept late. She didn't know why, but when she woke up, she went straight there, and was surprised to find Robin there as well.

"Do you ever sleep?" she asked, while yawning.

"Sometimes." He turned around and saw who he was talking to. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I don't know. I could ask you the same thing, though," she prompted.

"I'm not sure why, I just like watching the sunrise. The promise of a new day. I guess it gives me hope. Kinda dumb, huh?"

"Not dumb, just..." she searched for a word. "Poetic? As cliche as that sounds." He shrugged, and stared back at the open waters. Terra noticed a quizical look on his face.

"Whatcha thinking about?"

"Not thinking, just wondering..."

"About...?" He turned to face her, and was about to answer, when he bit his lip and blushed.

"Never mind, it's stupid."

"Come on, it can't be that bad."

"Forget it."

"Please? I promise I won't laugh, even if it is stupid." He smirked.

"Oh, I wouldn't promise that, it's a pretty dumb question. It's just been nagging at the back of my mind for a while now..."

"What?"

"What does your emblem stand for?"

"Huh?"

"You know, on your shirt. The big letter T. Does it stand for Teen Titans, or Terra, or something else?"

"That's your big question?"

"I told you it was stupid."

"No, its not. I'll answer your question though, if you answer one of mine."

"Okay. You first." She sat down next to him, and stared out into the ocean.

"Sometimes, I'm not really sure which it's supposed to stand for. I mean, all I ever wanted was to do good in the world, that's actually how I ended up with my powers. And now that I'm a titan, I get to do what I've always wanted. Help people. So, in that sense, I guess it would stand for the Titans, and how you all are helping me fulfill my dreams. But it also is a symbol that's part of me. Who I am.

"I wear the T on my shirt, partially to make it look more like a uniform. I guess it makes me feel more official, having an emblem on my shirt. It makes me feel like I really am part of the team, and not some bystander who just happens to help. Makes me feel like I belong. That I'm a titan.

"I can see why people think it stands for Terra. It makes sense, since T is the first letter in my name. It's a way of letting people identify me. If they don't know me by name, the can discribe me as 'the girl with a 't' on her shirt.' It gives me an identity. Well, a hero identity anyway. My real name isn't Terra."

"It's not?"

"Nah, but close enough. I mean, since it's a normal sounding name, and I don't wear a mask, people assume I have no other identity."

"That's smart of you. You're lucky you had that choice."

"Yea... But the emblem, it also stands for my past. Reminds me of my life before I became Terra the teen titan. When I was still... me... when I was... Princess Tara Markov. When I lived with my family, before I had to run away."

"Why did you run away? It sounds like you really miss your family." Robin didn't seem fazed that she was a princess.

"I can't go back. Besides, I was an... illegal child. My father was the king. My mom... she was one of his maids. My mom died when I was younger. I was stuck at the palace when I got kicked out of boarding school. I was an outcast there, at the castle, considering my dad had a wife and some other kids.

"To them, now, I'm a freak. I didn't have my powers from birth... I was born the princess of Markovia. Later, a scientist found me... he took advantage of me. Told me he could make me into something amazing, wonderful. He gave me my powers. When I showed my father... I was an outlaw. He thought I was cursed, even though I explained about the scientist. He kicked me out.

"I tried to help, as a vigilantee in a neighboring country, but I had no control over my powers, and because of it, people got hurt. Things happened, things I should've stopped. But I didn't. Couldn't. Wherever I tried to start a new life for myself, to help people, things would happen.

"Earthquakes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions. Hundreds of people killed, becuase I couldn't control my powers. Distruction followed me like the plague. All I was trying to do was help, but instead I ended up hurting more people. People I should've been able to save, and help. That's why I became a stowaway, came to America. Traveled around on foot till I came here. Not that I regret becoming a titan, sometimes I regret ever getting my powers in the first place." she hung her head, as if she was waiting for a lecture. She was surprised by what he said instead.

"I know what it's like to live with regrets."

"You do? I don't see what you possibly could've messed up."

He snorted."Trust me, I've messed up enough for everyone in this city."

"Somehow, I'm doubting that. But back to the question... I guess my emblem stands for three things. The titans, who I am, and who I was." A comfortable silence followed.

"So, what was your question?" asked Robin.

She smiled slyley. "Well, I've got a number of questions for you." she smirked.

"Oh yea? Like what?"

"Hmm..." She ticked them off on her fingers as she asked the questions. "Do you die your hair, what's your favorite color, how much do you spend on hair gell in a month..." at this one, Robin rolled his eyes. "What color are your eyes, and who the hell are you under that mask?" Robin froze stiffly at the last two questions.

"You know I can't answer the last one." Terra looked a bit annoyed.

"How come? I told you who I am. That's cheating."

"That's different."

"How? A name is a name is a name."

"Not always. You find out my name, you know not just who I am, but who Batman is, possibly Superman, Supergirl and Batgirl, and the... other Robin...s"

"Other Robins?" He nodded.

"Bats replaced me almost the second I left the city." he said bitterly.

"Oh... well, even if I do know who they are, does it matter? I mean, it's not like Batman's some bigshot like Bruce Wayne or something," she joked. She noticed the wide eyed nervous expression on the boy wonder's face. "Um... is he?" Robin still didn't answer. "He is, isn't he?" Finaly, Robin nodded. "So you're... Richard Grayson?" He nodded again.

"You have to swear that you won't tell _anyone_. Good bad or otherwise."

"I promise, I promise!"

"Not even Beastboy."

"I won't tell him," she said, growing serious. "I take promises very seriously."

"Okay... and if I randomly disapear at some point today, that means Batman found out I told you, and has killed or kidnapped me, so watch out, because that'd mean your next." She muffled a laugh. A man dressed like a bat didn't seem so scary. Robin, seeing this, added, "Batman is nothing like me. You don't think I'm scary? In Gotham, Batgirl was like the Cyborg and I was like the Beastboy of the group, in comparison to Batman." This time, Terra did laugh.

"_You_, the _Beastboy_ of the group? The prankster? The jokester?"

"Hey, don't be so surprised. You may think I'm some uptight serious guy, but that's from being in Gotham, and dealing with the bat. In Gotham, I was coming from being in a friggin circus. I was probably the most cheery kid in the city." She smirked.

"You know, I never really asked a question," she reminded.

"I know." Silence.

"So, can I ask you one?"

"Why not? We already know each others names."

"So... why your emblem?"

"Huh?" she smirked, at the now repeating conversation.

"You know, the big letter 'R' on your shirt, what's it stand for? Robin, or Richard, or something else?" he smiled.

"All of the above. You see, my costume now, is a bigger updated version of the one my mom made me, for our last show, before..."

"Before what?"

"Before she, and my father, died."

"Huh? But I thought Bruce Wayne-"

"Is my foster dad." Robin clarified. "Before, I was the youngest of the Flying Grayson's. My parents and I, we were the trapeze act."

"What happened?"

"Well, one day, we went to the big top to practice for an upcoming show, and we got our Gotham welcome. This guy, no, this _monster _Tony Zucco, and his brothers, they came trying to get extortion money from the circus. My dad was the circus manager. They were trashing the place, to show what they could do if we didn't buy their 'protection' from them. Well, they were pissing me off, messing with the circus. So when the one guy was about to throw something, I blocked him. Zucco came over to me, telling my dad he had 'quite a family' and that 'he'd hate for anything to go wrong.' Well, that threw my dad over the top, and he punched the guy. The big guy in their group struck my dad down. He repeated his offer, but I talked back. I told him I called the cops, about ten minutes before.

"Well, Batman intercepted the call, showed up. He got one of the guys, but the others got away. Zucco's theory was that we split up his family, and that he should return the favor." Robin looked out at the water, and Terra couldn't help but notice that at the moment, he looked more like he was nine than sixteen. "The next night, my mom gave me my new costume to try on. This one. I hated it, becuase it was so colorful. My mom said it was because I reminded her of a robin when I was flying through the air. At the time, I guess my emblem stood for Richard. That night... my parents were out on the trapeze, performing their stunts. Like all other shows, we were performing without a safety net..."

Robin clenched his eyes shut, holding back the tears. "Zucco took the bolts off the trapeze. The swing came off... and they fell." Terra took a sharp breath, whincing. "Bruce... Batman, took me in. It was a safe house. I wanted to stay with the circus, but... they thought Zucco would come after me. I ended up finding the batcave. Batman was going after Zucco. I wanted to make sure Zucco got what was coming to him." Robin's voice was unnaturally dark at that moment, and Terra was kinda freaked out. He sort of reminded her of... well, Slade.

"So, I followed him. Wanting to keep my identity a secret, I put on my costume from the circus, along with a mask and cape. Saved Batman from certain death, and then after the daylights were beaten out of me, Batman chased Zucco up to the trapeze platform, Zucco freaked, fell, and I caught him."

"I thought you wanted Zucco to get what was coming to him?" Terra asked. Her face scrunched up in confusion, when he started to smirk. "What?"

"Batman asked me the same thing right after. Same answer now as then. He did get what was coming to him. Justice."

Terra shook her head. "If I was in your position, I don't think I would've had the self control, to... to _not_ let him die." Robin shrugged. "So, I'm guessing that's when you were named?" Robin nodded.

"Yea. From then on, it stood for Robin. But a certain part of me... it feels like it stands for something else sometimes..."

"What?"

"No... it's... bad..."

"Wha-at? What do you think it stands for?"

"...Revenge. Revenge against the criminals that killed my parents. Revenge against crime."

"So... should we call you Capn. Revenge then?" Robin rolled his eyes. "I'll take that as a no."

"Come on, the others are probably getting up by now." Robin held out a hand to help her up.

"No, it's ok... I'll be inside in a few minutes." He nodded, and walked inside. As soon as he left, she turned her second communicator on. The one from Slade. It immediately started crackling and buzzing to life.

_"Terra, report. My camera's saw you having a conversation with Robin. Did you learn anything useful?"_

Terra remembered what she promised. Tell Slade everything useful. She also promised not to tell Robin's identity. She'd have to break one promise to keep another.

Three weeks later...

Terra slammed a rock down on Robin. He got back up.

"You betrayed us Terra! For a mad man, a criminal! You betrayed Beastboy, all of us! How could you?" She continued fighting him, and 'accidentally' turned off her communicator to Slade.

"I don't have much time, but Robin, listen. Please." he continued fighting her, but grew silent. "Like I said before, I take promises seriously. I didn't tell him."

And with that, she turned back on her comm. link, and struck the seemingly final blow, sending Robin into an endless pit.

"It's done. They're gone."


End file.
